Hat wearers often require a place to store their hats. This may be temporarily while driving, for example, or alternatively storage may be required for longer periods, in a closet or perhaps some other storage location. A useful hat holder should support the hat properly so that the shape is maintained, and neither the crown nor the brim (or bill) is exposed to damage. Also, such storage should be out of the way.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,808 granted to Thompson discloses a plain wire hat holder that is disposed to be screwed to the overhead interior roof surface of a vehicle. A spring hinge allows drop of a ring-shaped member to receive the hat. The hinge then returns to a rest position with the hat supported upside down from around the crown. Although this concept has enjoyed considerable commercial success, there is room for several improvements. First, there is a need for adjustability, both in size and shape of the crown to be received. Second, the unforgiving nature of the wire and the spring hinge exposes the hat to possible damage in operation of the hat holder. Third, there is a need for flexibility in the way in which the holder is suspended, since semi-permanent affixation by screws is not always either advantageous or desirable.